Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Heucheraxc3x97hybrida cultivar Midnight Burgundy.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant, botanically known as Heucheraxc3x97hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Midnight Burgundyxe2x80x99.
The new Heuchera is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Heuchera cultivars having good plant vigor, dense and uniform plant habit, and showy and attractive flower and leaf coloration.
The new Heuchera is a chemically-induced mutation of the Heucheraxc3x97hybrida cultivar Midnight Claret, not patented. The new Heuchera was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Scottdale, Pa. in August, 2001, from within a population of colchicine-treated plants of the cultivar Midnight Claret. The selection of this plant was based on its uniformity and vigor.
Asexual reproduction of the new Heuchera by cuttings in a controlled environment in Scottdale, Pa., since August, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Heuchera are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Midnight Burgundy has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Midnight Burgundyxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Midnight Burgundyxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera:
1. Full, densely foliated and uniformly mounded plant habit.
2. Leaves very dark purple in color.
3. Numerous showy white to light pink-colored flowers arranged on erect panicles.
4. Excellent garden performance.
Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Midnight Claret. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Midnight Claret in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Heuchera grew more uniformly and were move vigorous than plants of the cultivar Midnight Claret.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera had six petals, six sepals, six stamens and three pistils whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Midnight Claret had five petals, five sepals, five stamens and two pistils.
Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the cultivar Silver Light, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/324,932. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Silver Light in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Heuchera and the cultivar Silver Light differed in leaf coloration.
2. Plants of the new Heuchera and the cultivar Silver Light differed in sepal and flower bud coloration.
3. Plants of the new Heuchera had thinner peduncles than plants of the cultivar Silver Light.
4. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera had six petals, six sepals, six stamens and three pistils whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Silver Light had five petals, five sepals, five stamens and two pistils.
Plants of the new Heuchera can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Jade Gloss, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,137. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Jade Gloss in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Heuchera and the cultivar Jade Gloss differed in leaf coloration.
2. Plants of the new Heuchera and the cultivar Jade Gloss differed in sepal coloration.
3. Plants of the new Heuchera had shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Jade Gloss.
4. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera had six petals, six sepals, six stamens and three pistils whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Jade Gloss had five petals, five sepals, five stamens and two pistils.